Hot Topics:

Temple sex-tape defendant accused of hacking email, sending link

By Lyle Moran, lmoran@lowellsun.com

Updated:
05/09/2013 03:26:48 PM EDT

LOWELL -- An attorney for the Lowell woman who appears in a tape many say shows her having sex with a Buddhist monk argued Wednesday that evidence indicates one of the five defendants to his client's lawsuit hacked into a computer system to email a link to the video on YouTube to Cambodian community members.

The email was sent last month to an email list compiled by the Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks, which is working to build a $10 million Buddhist temple in Lowell's Pawtucketville neighborhood. Maya Men is one of the project leaders along with the monk in the video, Venerable Nhem Kimteng.

The email invited readers to watch "Disgusted Venerable Nhem Kimteng and Maya Men having sex in our temple," referring to the Trairatanaram Temple in North Chelmsford. It is unclear how long the video was posted on YouTube.

Attorney James Boumil, who is representing Men, said in Lowell Superior Court that defendant Denys Meung had access to the passwords needed to access the Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks' email system.

He also said Meung was present at meetings where discussions centered around distributing the tape of Men and Kimteng, and Meung has not denied the allegations he had access to the email system.

Boumil concluded that it is "more probable than not" that Meung was responsible for the email and urged Judge Christine McEvoy to issue a preliminary injunction ordering him to cease distribution of the tape.

Advertisement

"It would be catastrophic if this got out yet again, the list serve got invaded yet again, or YouTube videos were posted yet again," said Boumil.

But Meung's attorney, Gregory Oberhauser, disputed many of Boumil's comments and reiterated his stance that his client had nothing to do with the distribution of the video by email or otherwise.

Oberhauser said Meung did not have any passwords to the email system in question.

Plaintiff Maya Men, center, the subject of an alleged sex tape involving her and a Buddhist monk, listens during a hearing before Judge Christine McEvoy at Lowell Superior Court on Wednesday. At left is an earlier witness, Thach Diep. For video on this story, visit lowellsun.com. SUN photos/Julia Malakie

He referenced testimony from a previous hearing that after Meung departed from assisting the CKBM with their Lowell temple project last year, at least two other individuals had access to the CKBM's computer and email system.

Oberhauser also highlighted that the email linking to the video was sent to Meung, and he questioned why if Meung sent the video, he would put himself on the recipient list.

"It boils down to strictly speculation by the plaintiff about the involvement by my client," Oberhauser said.

Judge McEvoy said she would take under advisement whether to issue a preliminary injunction against Meung.

The discussion came during the third hearing as part of the civil lawsuit Men has filed against five men she has accused of distributing the tape.

Venerable Cheng Leang, the Buddhist monk accused of making the sex tape, listens during the hearing before Judge Christine McEvoy at Lowell Superior Court on Wednesday.
SUN/Julia Malakie

Men asserts the taping and distribution of the video without her permission violated her right to privacy, her constitutional rights, and the defendants intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon her with their actions. Men, who denies she was having sex in the video, requested the court grant her reasonable and punitive damages.

The initial hearing last month was on Boumil's request for temporary restraining orders, and a hearing last week began the discussion about preliminary injunctions against the defendants.

Three of the five defendants -- Sam Meas, Sovann Khon, and Venerable Cheng Leang, a Buddhist monk -- agreed to stipulations that they would not distribute the tape without admitting that they have done so.

All three have denied Men's claims about their involvement with the video and its distribution.

Jonathon Friedmann, Meas' attorney, said he believes his client has been targeted because he called for an audit of the CKBM temple project's finances while he was on the executive committee for the project. Meas was removed from the committee last August and later requested the Attorney General's Office investigate the temple projects' finances.

"They have tried to shut my client up about this," said Friedmann, adding that he plans to file a motion at some point in the coming months to seek a dismissal of the case against his client.

Boumil disagreed with Friedmann, saying Men's claim that she is targeting Meas because of his calls for an audit "is illogical.

" He says Meas brought the suit on himself with his actions promoting the distribution of the tape.

Leang, whom the email accuses of recording the video, has stated in an affidavit he did not do so.

The fifth defendant, Ly Veng Chour, appeared in court for the first time Wednesday, but has yet to formally to respond the suit.

"I had nothing to do with the video," Chour told The Sun after the hearing. A preliminary injunction was issued against him ordering him not to distribute the video.

Also Wednesday, Boumil submitted the video featuring Men and Kimteng to the judge. Boumil said he will seek to work out a confidentiality agreement with the defense attorneys regarding the tape.

A status hearing on the case was scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, at 2 p.m. Boumil said he plans to meet with the defense attorneys before the next court date to discuss a possible resolution to the suit.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sun. So keep it civil.